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'Apple iPhone vulnerable to phishing'
By siliconindia
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Tuesday, 30 September 2008, 16:21 IST
New Delhi: Users are almost on the verge of a disillusionment with Apple's iPhone 3G. According to recent reports by online forums and top gizmo sites on the web, the Apple iPhone could be easily hacked by cyber criminals, said an Economic Times report.
Mobile review sites like intomobile.com and the iphoneblog.com say that a security flaw in iPhone allows unauthorized users to gain easy access to your private contacts and emails even when the device is 'locked.' The iPhone comes locked when one buys it from the market. It's only the operator who can unlock the phone legally.
Network and mobile security experts also point out the flaws in the iPhone's Safari web browser. "The iPhone's Safari browser is one of the most vulnerable browsers and is prone to not only phishing but also to spread of spyware. Using APPLE SDK (software development kit), a hacker can create phone spying software which can anonymously send or receive SMS without notifying the owner," said Rajat Khare, CEO of network security firm Appin.
According to online forums, flaws in the mail and Safari applications bundled with the iPhone leave users of the device at greater risk of phishing attacks.
Gizmodo, a Gizmo review site and MacRumors.com claim that it takes only three taps to gain access to the locked iPhones. "Earlier hacking reports were predominantly on the Windows platform, now with iPhone gaining popularity, hackers have trained their eyes on it. Although Apple has released the latest version of security software, it is unlikely that it will solve the issues completely," said Niraj Kaushik, Trend Micro country manager - India and SAARC.